Albany Pickleball Club inspired by Australia No.2 pickleball player Andrew Horridge in Great Southern visit

Australia’s No.2 pickleball player Andrew Horridge inspired a passionate Albany Pickleball Club during a visit at the weekend. The 20-year-old pickleball star carried out coaching courses before taking part in games with some of the club’s 70-strong members on Sunday. Horridge, who grew up in Cunderdin, said he relished the opportunity to visit the State’s regions and encourage the sport’s growth. “Albany is a perfect spot down under, and they’ve obviously got permanent pickleball courts so they’re obviously doing really well,” he said. “I was called out to facilitate a coaching course, so Albany is getting a few registered coaches now, which is exciting and hopefully get some more people playing pickle. “It’s growing at a really fast rate, and I’m glad that I can try and channel people and direct them on where to go and what clubs to visit. “It’s definitely catered to the older demographic but anybody of any background and any ability can jump in and play, and we’ve seen that it’s stemming down to that younger demographic.” The club is based at the defunct Lawley Park Tennis Club, and is one of three clubs in the State that have permanent pickleball courts. Club president Richard Harris said the sport was thriving in Albany, and club members welcomed Horridge’s visit. “We’re a bit isolated here in Albany, so to get someone with that talent and that sort of ranking in Australia is just fantastic,” Harris said. “We grew out of the demise of the Lawley Park Tennis Club so we put in a couple of pickleball courts, and we’ve just grown exponentially since then. “With 70 full-time members and probably 100 regular players it’s growing quickly. “We’ve got a good base of members, we’ve got a fantastic facility down here at Lawley Park, and we want to expand that and grow the courts. “So long-term vision is to see Lawley Park as the centre of pickleball, and we’d like an opportunity to invest in the courts and the facilities.” APC’s Jenny Rickerby recently came third in the over-70s women’s doubles at the State Pickleball Championships.